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Blog Archive
Top 6 Writing Lies We Tell Ourselves
They say imitation is the highest form of flattery. I hope Weight Watchers thinks so, because I was reading their 6 Weight Loss Lies and thought: Hmm, sounds a lot like we tell ourselves about writing. So you know what's next: the top 6 writing lies we tell ourselves. Do any of these sound familiar?
1. I need to start writing seriously again.
The whole “writing seriously” thing gives the concept that there will be a time we’re not writing seriously, if at all. An on-and-off mentality. We need to make a commitment to doing it as a lifestyle, not just when it’s convenient.
2. I’ll get back on track after this class/Monday/tomorrow/after Christmas
Procrastination is the devil. Persistence is divine. Do it now. Even if you slip, it’s a lot easier to keep going than to wait until circumstances are absolutely perfect to do anything.
3. All my problems will be solved once I’m published
Definitely publishing a novel is something to crow about, but it’s not going to change your life like Cinderella. Unless you’re J.K. Rowling. Okay, it’s possible your life and problems will be solved once you’re published, but it’s not likely. I have a feeling even after you’re published, you’re still going to think you write crappy first drafts, that you’ll never think of another publishable idea, and that your characters are not behaving like you want them to.
4. Unpublished writers don’t deserve to go to Nationals
Admittedly I say this a lot. I mean, it’s a lot of money. If you don’t come with five or so completed manuscripts, how could they possibly take you seriously? This is fallacy though. This is the perfect place to go if you’re unpublished. Talk about motivation and inspiration—fill up your cup here and write all year. Accept that you’re not published yet and love it. There will come a day when you are published and you’ll be like, “Geez, who knew my unpublished status would be so much more likable?”
5. I shouldn’t do anything fun until I finish this manuscript.
Discipline is definitely key, but nobody can write in a box. Get out and get some air. Go watch a movie. Drink some wine with your friends. It’s healthy; and you might be inspired by something. Nobody likes martyrs.
6. The faster I write, the more I’ll publish
Pretty sure this only works for Nora and possibly Sherrilyn Kenyon. However, I prefer books from authors where each one feels distinct and new and whole. I don’t think it should take you six years to write each book, but I don’t think writing only one or maybe two a year is a bad thing. Don’t think you’re in some imaginary race. Just write the best you can every day. Slow and steady wins it in the end—and no burn out.
What’s the biggest writing lie out there? Which of these are you most guilty of? (Or are you like me and break all of them? *LOL*)
Books by the Crew
50 comments:
Great blog! I even know what the dieting lies these all go with. (WW, been there, done that...let's move on now.)
I'd say I'm guilty of number one, but that segues perfectly into the one writing lie that drives me crazy...
You aren't a real writer unless you...fill in the blank. Write non-fiction, historical novels, serious essays, win a Pulitzer...blah, blah, blah.
Similiar to the seriously lie, the real lie works the same way.
LOL, is it weird my blog post today Over Plotters Anonymous kind of coincides with your post?
I am guilty of all of these. And I went to Nationals. I probably shouldn't but my cps kept saying you need to go so you can pitch. I went. I pitched. And now I'm revising. I do consider myself a real writer. It took me a long time but I'm there.
Great post. I need to print it off and tape it to the wall.
I always tell myself to get back on the wagon and start writing serious again! LOL With every book. 'Cause I go through these spells of doing nothing, not touching anything, etc, etc. But that relates back to not writing in a box. If I didn't have anything else on the go in my life... day job and family, I'd probably accomplish more. But for now, there is no getting around those distractions! LOL
It just kills me when people who've heard I'm getting published next year say, "I've always wanted to write a book." And then they ask me much it's costing me to get the books printed. I have to explain patiently that I'm not self-publishing and someone is actually paying me, LOL. People who don't write are remarkably clueless about the process and seem to think you just sit down for a weekend and have a book by Monday morning. Uh, no.
I avoided Nationals for many reasons, but am finally getting up the courage to go next year.
I think one writing misperception (maybe not a lie) is that you have to have huge blocks of time to accomplish anything. Not true. I've made good use of an hour or so before work every day and that might be the only time all day that I write. It all adds up.
For some reason, it was like you were reading all of these to me. *LOL* This was an awesome blog.
I've said it more than once. I don't feel like I deserve to go to conferences or Nationals until I've got something solid to present. I've even toyed with the idea of not going to Spring Fling next year unless one book is written and ready to pitch. I refuse to pitch a book I haven't gotten fully written yet because I know how I am.
Nationals, well, the thought of going just gives me hives.
I tell myself every day I need to write. Regardless if it gets done at the end of the day, I still remind myself from the time I open my eyes until I close them that I want to write. So, I think about writing. It's not that I've given up, it's that four million things are getting in my way of writing. And for someone who has already cut sleep out of their routine, I don't know where else I'm going to cut into.
So I'm committing the ultimate lie to myself today, "In the future, I will seriously get back to writing".
Hate me for saying it if you want.
2nd: That LIE pisses me off. People always think romances and genre fiction is paint-by-the-numbers, when it takes work and blood and several nervous breakdowns. Of course, if you call them on it, they look scandalized and say, "I'd never write that trash." *eye roll* People are so predictable.
Renee: Great minds think alike, my good woman. Good for you for going to Nationals and pitching--it sounds like it's paying off! I think multipublished writers even have to remind themselves some days that they're real writers. Which gives me comfort that J.K. Rowling might be freaking out, wondering if she'll ever write another book.
Tiff: Not having a husband and kids can be distacting too. I'm beginning to understand why Thoreau built that tiny cabin in the woods. No wonder he wrote so much with only that tiny room to keep him company. Here's to hoping that one day you'll have less distractions because you get to stay home and be a full-time writer (on purpose)!!
Maggie: You're so right. People are SOOOooooo clueless about what it takes to publish a book. I mean, I write and have at least a half idea and I'm still clueless...but it boggles the mind when people think you can write a 400 page book in a weekend, then publish it the next day. Seriously. WTF. I remember my friend bragging to a friend of ours that I had finished a book and I was making desperate throat slashing motions to shut her up and the mutual friend turned and asked when the book was getting published. AWKWARD to explain how as much as I loved my manuscript that no one else did.
Great advice: it all adds up!! Very true!!!
Sin: I know your ninja spy circumstances, so I do believe you'll come back to it eventually. If only because Mattycakes will make some off-the-cuff remark that you won't finish anything to publish and you'll write a book in 2 weeks just to prove him wrong.
I'm guilty of breaking all of them, but fortunately, not all at the same time. Each white lie gets its own turn. You can't say I'm not equal opportunity!
Procrastination is probably the biggest running problem for me and the root of all white lies. Geez, that's a long word. Procrastination. If I wrote it down by hand, I'd feel like taking a break. :) Seriously, unless I'm in that rare writing zone, my attention span can be very, very short. I think that's where a deadline is helpful. Or a goal. I hate deadlines, but if I don't have small goals I will procrastinate indefinitely.
Melissa, I'm a big procrastinator too.
One of many lies I tell myself...It's okay I'll write more tomorrow. Then tomorrow leads along to next week, etc.
It's like I somehow think the pages will magically write themselves becuaes I think about the story, write little reminder notes, etc - all those thoughts and notes and research don't mean a thing unless I can keep my butt in the chair to write.
Sorry to drop in a link to another site, but I read a very inspirational blog post this morning by Roxanne St. Claire. If you have a minute I recommend checking it out.
http://www.murdershewrites.com/2009/10/20/snoopy-in-for-roxanne-st-claire-and-hoping-for-a-hit/
AWKWARD to explain how as much as I loved my manuscript that no one else did.
So true. Nothing much compares to that kind of awkwardness.
Melissa and Sabrina, repeat after me: Procrastination is the devil, persistence is divine. I have to say persistence works for my boyfriend. He is persistent as the day is long--and boy does it work for him.
By the way, today is National Writing Day. So write something, however short, and add it to your book. As Maggie says, it all adds up.
Procrastination comes from the flaw of perfectionism. You want to write the perfect draft--and you know there is no such thing. So it's a big vicious cycle. Accept the shitty draft, it's better than no draft at all.
Another great blog, Hellion!
I think I have a different lie for every mood, but the one that gives me the most trouble is "I know it's not writing, but X counts." X can be a blog, a character bio, free writing about a new idea, anything but the ms I'm supposed to be working on. I now have a quotation from E.L. Doctorow prominently displayed in a half dozen places: "Planning to write is not writing. Outlining, researching, talking to people about what you're doing, none of that is writing. Writing is writing." My hope is that confronting the lie with this truth will eventually cause it to slink away in shame.
But today the lie is winning. :(
Sabrina, that does sound very familiar! It's funny to me too that how much progress I'm making is tied to my mood. On good days, I count all those notes and research as great progress. On not so good days, I have a suspicion all those notes and research are just procrastination for the actual writing!
So true. Nothing much compares to that kind of awkwardness.
About as awkward as being naked in front of someone. Wait, I was naked in front of this person...and it wasn't nearly as awkward as that conversation was.
About as awkward as being naked in front of someone. Wait, I was naked in front of this person…
LOL! Thinking it was the same person who was asking when you were getting published! Now that puts things in perspective. Imagine having that conversaton while naked. I guess it would lessen the awkwardness of the conversation topic in itself?
Bein' naked trumps all other ackwardness...
Janga, I think we were on the same wavelength! Yes, I do a lot of "X" counts. Writing is writing. I wonder if it's possible to turn it around and procrastinate on the planning part instead. :) I mean, it has it's place, but there are lots of areas where I've planned enough already!
A great blog, Hellie!
I definitely think that the whole, all my problems will be solved when I'm published resonates. I know that's not true, but boy isn't it an appealing fantasy?
I also just can't qualify Nationals. Not every conference, just Nationals. Nationals is SOOOO expensive. I just can't find that kind of cash in the budget. Really. Someday I hope.
Janga, I have the pre-writing and research writing problem too. *LOL* Foreplay rather than the actual act itself--which is tough when the foreplay is a lot of times more fun than the act itself. Don't get me wrong--there are many time where the actual act is more fun than the foreplay, but you have to be in the right place in your head. If you're not, you feel like you're going through the motions.
But being critical and self-flaggelating (did I spell that right?) isn't going to help your manuscript. It's like a victim-slave mentality, the kind of attitude that nothing great can come from; you have to flip your attitude around. Writing is already really hard to do--so going with a defeatist attitude that you're not really a writer and you're not really writing and you sorta suck only kills off any creative joy you might have brought to the computer. Do you know how hard it is for me to bring creative joy to the computer? Do you know how HARD I have to work to do that?
I mean, it has it’s place, but there are lots of areas where I’ve planned enough already!
I sometimes think the "planning" thing comes from the organic writer. Where you're struggling with a scene that you know isn't quite right, so you fiddle with the planning until something unlocks in your head and you find the right place where your scene should start and be. I think planning is an important part of writing--sort of like a hyper-Yahoo mapping. Some writers don't mind getting in their car and just driving, without even accounting if the road they're on has any gas stations in the next 500 miles. But other writers prefer to figure out some of the pitfalls and consider the best routes to get to The End.
Both ways are good. Both ways, you eventually get on the road and get to your destination. Be cool. It's your vacation; you can do it however you want.
Marnee: I love smaller conferences. I think I get so much more out of smaller ones than the Nationals. I'd rather be a big fish in a small pond, you know?
Man oh man, if I could resolve my problems with a J.K. Rowling-esque book popularity, that would be so bloody awesome. *LOL* I would love to have a Harry Potter.
I'm sure I've told myself all of these lies except the unpubbed shouldn't go to Nationals one. Well, I do think I probably told myself that one, I just ignored it. I love Nationals...mostly. But I've loved the smaller conferences I've attended too. The buzz is wonderful from any gathering of writers, large or small.
Luckily, I'm in a place where these lies aren't so strong anymore. The procrastination one still gets in the way, but it's less powerful than in the past. My biggest break through was getting rid of the "I'm not a writer unless I publish" lie. Once you get rid of that one, the road gets a little easier to travel.
And I almost dread getting pubbed, which is exactly something only I would do. I really want to get pubbed and plan on pursuing it with all I have, but at the same time, dread it! I'll have to write more and lots of people will see my work and you know not everyone is going to like everything and you're bound to get a bad review at some point.
Yep, dread it. LOL!
I only find it painfully awkward if I'm naked and the other person isn't. LOL
But talking about my writing is more awkward to me than being naked. And I'm not exactly comfortable with how I look naked.
But talking about my writing is more awkward to me than being naked. And I’m not exactly comfortable with how I look naked.
Ditto that.
I'm ignoring the nekkid convo completely. Not even going there.
Bo'sun, you're such a people junkie. You just like being around people. *LOL* No wonder you thrive in a Nationals setting.
Fear of being successful is an across the board fear, whether you're dieting or writing or whatever. Almost like a fear of failure where you delude yourself in thinking if you don't try, then you didn't fail.
...you eventually get on the road and get to your destination.
Hellie, I loved your analogy and I think I have in fact done some "hyper-Yahoo mapping." :) So much so that I've given myself so many routes that I'm not sure which road to get on.
This second book has been a strange mix of experimenting with my process. Lots of "tricks" to write faster. Lots of frantic scribbling of notes and non-linear writing of broken scenes to get that rough draft. Oh, I succeeded. It's rough all right. So rough in fact, that I feel a mad scientist laugh at my creation is called for!
But then I had a break. One of those life things where I had to do days - - days I tell you! - - of stupid real work. Rational, linear, footnotes and everything real work. And coming back to my "creation"...all I can say is, "what the heck is this?" Where did this "pick a road until you hit a dead end" philosophy come from? LOL
It's not necessarily a bad thing that I have this "mess" to clean up, but not sure I'm quite as happy as I thought I'd be to have that "rough" draft. So, I'm stuck. Temporarily. It's not that I don't have anywhere to go, I'm just stuck in the car deciding which road to take. LOL I think the only thing to do now is go back to the beginning and start stringing the pieces together. Ugh.
And I almost dread getting pubbed, which is exactly something only I would do.
Terri, you're not the only one! In a strange way, I think I'm gunshy about being published after my headlong rush toward that goal. I had the white lie of "being will change my life" big time. It's probably still there. I seriously don't think I'll even try to pitch until I have at least two more completed manuscripts. My dream now is being an "overnight success" with back to back releases. It will take a while for overnight success. LOL
Oops, I left out a word. I meant "being published will changed my life." Maybe it should just be a fill in the blank. :)
We know what you meant. LOL! I do think it would change just in that I'd feel a bit more confident and there's always that extra income, little as it may be. This is just the anxiety I get anytime I try something new and wonder what the hell I was thinking. :)
And that added confidence and extra income will allow you to write the next and the next! :)
I do think it would be hugely inspiring to have someone actually expect you to write. (Once I got over the fear of that expectation, that is!) But to have readers actually anticipate your next book? Wow, can't imagine it. But it's gotta feel good.
If you think being published will change your life - BELIEVE IT! My first novel will be released this Thursday, and I haven't written a thing in months.
Marketing, PR, publicity, branding...I haven't had a free moment, and I really miss writing! I fall into Lie #2: I'll get back on track after my book release...but then it will start all over again for my second book...
Okay - resolved - this weekend, I'm giving my WIP at least 12 hours! Thank you, crew, for the inspiration!
Ha! Laura's on the ship! She's blogging with us Friday, sharing with us her new book, Secret Vegas Lives! Yeah on your new release!
Yes, and I can't wait! Hellie has promised me an especially mischevious interview Friday. I wonder what she has planned for me...
Welcome aboard, Ms. Breck! Congrats on your first release. We're looking forward to your visit and whatever Hellie has planned, it's guaranteed to be fun. We like to keep things lively around here. :)
Aye, I do think part a' the conference joy wit' the Bo'sun is the chance to talk! Saw the new Progressive Insurance commercial the other night, with the perky clerk and the monks... One of the monks breaks 12 years of silence...and she looks astounded... "I once went 12 minutes!"
And I thought a Terrio.
;)
Ooo, a fun guest who'se already lurkin'! Cool! Welcome aboard Ms. Breck!
Chance strikes again! Belly up ta the bar fer a Blog Killer Comment!
LOL - i'm still around...leaving to head hom ethen will check in again!
Great blog topic today!
Ya write today, Sabrina?
Huh? Huh? Huh?
Y'all can tease all ya want. But for 8 years I got paid to talk. Ha! Proved all those nuns who said I should hush up wrong, didn't I?
There be a sweet thing ta provin' nuns wrong...
Home and brainstorming my way through plot problems. Given myself til 9pm for that - then write!
Good girl, Sabrina. I've made brownies and am watching Biggest Loser. It's a night of contradictions.
Brownies are my downfall - love them and hubby says they are his fav thing for me to bake.
Can't believe it - working on plot for NaNo story. Used an exercise to create four sentences for beginning, middle, climax and end. Guess what - I now have the bones of the story written down!
Then I just sat with post-its and wrote down any thoughts, ideas, plot points, etc.
I can now really see how this story is going to flow. I didn't plot this out completely or in any restrictive manner - it's more like I've thought the story through and now "get it."
Congrats, Sabrina!
Which of these am I most guilty of?
Dots....
I'm guilty of ... using ... lots ... of ...dots!
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